Did Bush ‘Stack Up’ to Reagan As a Conservative? Mark Levin Measures the Folly of Such Thinking

(Commentary) - Pete Wehner, who served as a White House adviser to President George W. Bush, has written an essay for Commentary arguing—in response to Mark R. Levin saying on his radio show that Bush’s record as president was at best “marginally conservative”—that Bush’s record, in fact, measures up from a conservative perspective even to Ronald Reagan's.

“Bush’s record, based on objective conservative yardsticks, stacks up quite well against Reagan’s,” writes Wehner.

Say what?

Bush, of course, signed the No Child Left Behind Act, the Medicare prescription drug plan (which now faces $7.2 trillion in unfunded liabilities), and a $700 billion bailout for ineptly run banks.

On his Facebook page today, Levin responds to Wehner, presenting his own carefully reasoned point-by-point analysis of the comparative records of Bush and Reagan--in whose White House and administration Levin himself served.

“I think it is worthy to defend Bush, especially if you worked for him and believe in his actions,” writes Levin. “But there is no need to base that support on claims of fidelity to conservatism when, in fact, such claims are often fanciful and incredible.”